Help with tracking down a Keats poem

English translation: Keat's sonnet "On the Sea"

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English term or phrase:	Help with tracking down a Keats poem
Selected answer:	Keat's sonnet "On the Sea"
Entered by:	Berni Armstrong

08:40 Jan 27, 2003

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary / Keats poem?

English term or phrase: Help with tracking down a Keats poem

Hi there,

I am translating a text from Spanish and it contains a quote from Keats that I do not recognise.

Of course it would be ridiculous for me to translate this into my version when English readers would understand the original.

However, I have tried without success to find it (Bartleby etc) and am now wondering if:

a) The Spanish translation was so far off the mark that my attempt to "re-translate" in search of the original is doomed to failure.

or

b) It is not by Keats at all.

ANYWAY - here is the "re-translated" bit - almost word for word from the Spanish translation:

"John Keats sang before the sea:

You who have weary and painful eyes,
Recapture your joy before the immensity of the sea;
You who have ears deafened by the noise,
Sit in an old cavern and mediate."

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

Thanks, in advance, for your help...

Berni

Berni Armstrong KudoZ activity Questions: 421 (none open) (2 without valid answers) (5 closed without grading) Answers: 550 Spain
Local time: 18:59

Keat's sonnet "On the Sea"

Explanation:
This is the last four lines of the sonnet which begins "It keeps eternal whisperings around Desolate shores ...

and goes on:

Oh ye! whose ears are dinn'd with uproar rude,
Or fed too much with cloying melody -
Sit ye near some old Cavern's Mouth, and brood
Until ye start, as if the sea-nymphys quir'd!

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Note added at 2003-01-27 08:58:18 (GMT)
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For reference: the whole sonnet

It keeps eternal whisperings around
Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell
Gluts twice ten thousand Caverns, till the spell
Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound.
Often \'tis in such gentle temper found,
That scarcely will the very smallest shell
Be mov\'d for days from where it sometime fell,
When last the winds of Heaven were unbound.
Oh ye! who have your eye-balls vex\'d and tir\'d,
Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea;
Oh ye! whose ears are dinn\'d with uproar rude,
Or fed too much with cloying melody -
Sit ye near some old Cavern\'s Mouth, and brood
Until ye start, as if the sea-nymphs quir\'d!

Selected response from:

Armorel Young
Local time: 17:59

Grading comment

Oh Armorel!
Thou hast savéd my very bacon!

Isn't this Kudoz thing greeeeeaaaat!

Thank you so much,

Berni
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

Keat's sonnet "On the Sea"

Armorel Young

Answers

13 mins confidence:

Keat's sonnet "On the Sea"

Armorel Young
Local time: 17:59
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 597

Grading comment

Oh Armorel!
Thou hast savéd my very bacon!

Isn't this Kudoz thing greeeeeaaaat!

Thank you so much,

Berni

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